"Hopefully Kobe and Pau will be back Friday, hopefully, and then we can start going forward with everybody that we need to have," coach Mike D'Antoni said, according to ESPN Los Angeles, and later agreeing with a reporter who asked if he "expected" the pair back.

Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol rejoin a Lakers team hanging on to eighth place in the Western Conference. (AP Photo)

Bryant, who sprained his left ankle last week in Atlanta, took more treatment Wednesday but said he expected to practice full speed today with an eye toward returning Friday.

Gasol—who, according to ESPN Los Angeles, was winded Wednesday after going 4-on-4 for the first time since tearing the plantar faschia in his right foot in early February—said he planned to test the foot in 5-on-5 play today before making a final determination for the Lakers' game against the Wizards.

The Lakers hold a one-game lead over the Utah Jazz for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West with less than a month to go in the regular season.

"Right now, it's all or nothing," Gasol said. "We're down the last stretch, and we have to give our very best as individuals and as a group in order to have the best shot."

D'Antoni said that Gasol would eventually move into the starting lineup in place of Earl Clark, but would come off the bench while he works his way back into shape.

"His minutes might fluctuate early, because he doesn't have the stamina to stay out there," D'Antoni said. "We don't have the luxury for him to be on the floor if he's not 100 (percent)."

Earlier this week, Gasol underwent an ultrasound that confirmed his injury was healing properly, though he had targeted last Sunday or Monday as a return date that he later had to back off.

He says he continues to have pain in the foot but called it "manageable."

"The more I push through it, the more I use it and do explosive moves, the more it's going to pull," Gasol said. "There's still some scar tissue to be kind of like released. So there's still going to be a little bit of soreness, but I think we're on the right path."